Watches & Wonders - Three Rolex Models I Want to See Next Week (But Won’t)
Last year yielded mostly precious metal and diamonds - will this year prove to be the same or does Rolex have something up their sleeve for the brand's 120th anniversary?
We’re only a few days away from Watches & Wonders, the year’s biggest week in watches. The last few years of releases from Rolex have been a-typical - we had a very hot 2021, 2022, and 2023, but last year only yielded a single stainless-steel model, a neutral-colored GMT-Master II. The other watches released were precious metal variants of existing models, from the Day-Date to the Deepsea - lots of diamonds and gold.
This year marks a few anniversaries for Rolex - the brand’s 120th anniversary, the Datejust’s 80th anniversary, and the 70th anniversary of the GMT-Master. In the past few weeks, there were alleged leaks of this Rolex’s releases, including a new model called the Land-Dweller. Rolex released a teaser on Instagram just yesterday that appears to feature this new model, meaning we’ll probably get a new model range. I’m a bit surprised that now for the second year in a row, there have been leaks before their release at Watches & Wonders. I’m assuming there is merit behind this year’s leaks, but we’ll find out soon enough. Watches & Wonders kicks off on Tuesday, April 1st, and continues through the following week. In the mean time, enjoy three Rolex models I’d love to see released, but almost certainly won’t - at least this year.
Explorer Dial Submariner - The Sub’s Le Mans Throwback
Likelihood: Will probably never happen.
In 1955, Rolex introduced one of the most recognizable variants of the Submariner - the reference 6200 featuring an Explorer dial and big crown. The 6200 was only made from 1955 to 1956, but Rolex later released a 5513 with an Explorer dial and crown guards in 1962. While Rolex historically doesn’t release modern watches with explicit vintage tiebacks, this changed two years ago when they introduced the Daytona Le Mans Ref. 126529LN. This model was introduced for the 100th year of Le Mans in white gold with a Paul Newman dial, and the specific white gold variant was discontinued within the year. A version of the watch in yellow gold is still however offered as an off-catalog piece. This same highly limited release method would be the perfect way to provide another collector-geared reinterpretation of the wildly cool Explorer dial Submariner.
I would love to see a spin on the current no-date reference 124060 in white gold with an Explorer dial and polished center links. To the best of my knowledge, Rolex hasn’t released a Submariner without a date in precious metal, so it would be a worthy variant for true collectors, offering something new with a historical tie to the 6200 and 5513 references. While this year isn’t an anniversary year for the Submariner, it does mark 60 years since we last saw an Explorer dial in a Submariner.
Link to Hodinkee’s Reference Points article outlining the lineage of the Submariner can be found here.
Albino Rolex GMT-Master II - Black Dials are Overrated
Likelihood: Not likely.
With the exception of two GMTs in the current catalog, the white gold Pepsi GMT-Master II’s, all current GMT variants have black lacquer dials. Many have been hoping for additional colors to the GMT for years, with the black and red Coke bezel being the discussed bezel.
I think a dial color would be a much better way to add variety to the lineup, and would love to see an albino GMT-Master II - again playing off another highly sought after historical reference. In the context of the current range, this would then allow a clear spot for the Coke bezel to slot in whiteout being just another bezel color. The albino Pepsi would allow them both to sit in their own spaces.
White dialed watches have also been a popular trend the past few years - Tudor’s white dial Black Bay GMT and Omega’s white dial Speedster have been huge hits. To top it all off, 2025 is also the 70th anniversary of the GMT-Master, so it wouldn’t surprise me if there was something GMT-Master II in the cards for this year. Based on the leaks referenced earlier, it does look like we are going to see some new dials, but unfortunately a white dial Pepsi doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Link to Hodinkee’s article on the Albino GMT Master 6542 pictured above can be found here.
Yellow Gold Explorer - Bring on the Gold
Likelihood: Probable - I can see it happening… eventually.
In 2021, Rolex revised its Explorer to bring it back down to a 36mm size from the previously 39mm model. To downsize a modern Rolex model is almost unprecedented, and made the Explorer a polarizing choice, at least until they came added the 40mm variant to the range. Along with the downsized 36mm release, they also released a two-tone Rolesor model for the first time for an Explorer - again, love it or hate it, I thought it was a solid release.
With the release of the yellow gold Deepsea last year, I’d think it’ll only be a matter of time before Rolex offers an Explorer in full yellow gold. Currently, the only full gold models in the Rolex catalog under 39mm is the Day-Date and Ladies Datejusts, leaving a gap for someone who wants a sportier alternative in gold without stepping up to the 40mm GMT-Master II. The increased weight of full gold can make it uncomfortable and borderline unwearable for some, either with small or oddly shaped wrists (myself included on both). I’m sure there’s a market for a gold sports watch, but in a smaller, more compact package.
If you’re curious about the history of the Rolex Explorer, Hodinkee’s Reference Points can be found here.
Wrap Up
In addition to the above watches, every year I still secretly hope for smaller variants of some of the existing lineup. I must be in the minority, as Rolex doesn’t seem to consider downsizing any of their core lineup (with the exception of the Explorer). A 40mm RLX Titanium Yachtmaster will hopefully come soon, and I’m sure many would dream of a 39mm Explorer II - that would be a gem. While both picks are unlikely, there is still probably a better chance we’ll see those than an Explorer dial Sub. Anyways… What do you think of the models above? What do you want to see in this year’s Watches & Wonders release? Let me know in the comments.
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